case report remote stab wound resulting in av fistula and...

Hindawi Publishing CorporationCase Reports in CardiologyVolume 2013, Article ID 902719, 2 pageshttp://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/902719

Case ReportRemote Stab Wound Resulting in AV Fistula and High-OutputHeart Failure

Jennifer A. Rymer, Lindsay L. Anderson, J. Trevor Posenau, and W. Schuyler Jones

Duke University Medical Center, Hospital North 7402, DUMC Box 3126, Durham, NC 27710, USA

Correspondence should be addressed to Jennifer A. Rymer; jennifer.rymer@duke.edu

Received 7 June 2013; Accepted 16 July 2013

Academic Editors: T. Kasai, H. Kataoka, A. D. P. Mansur, R. J. Ostfeld, G. Pontone, T. Sahin, and F. M. Sarullo

Copyright © 2013 Jennifer A. Rymer et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons AttributionLicense, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properlycited.

A 54-year-old African American male with no medical history presented to an urgent care clinic with signs and symptoms ofnew-onset congestive heart failure. There was an initial concern for congestive heart failure secondary to an ischemic etiology asan echocardiogram revealed a depressed ejection fraction. However, a left heart cardiac catheterization did not demonstrate anysignificant coronary disease. As a loud bruit was auscultated over the right base of the patient’s neck, he underwent a carotid duplexultrasound revealing a fistula between the right common carotid artery (CCA) and the right internal jugular vein (IJV). A diagnosisof high-output heart failure secondary to a large arteriovenous (AV) fistula wasmade, and the patient underwent ligation and repairof the fistula with resolution of symptoms of congestive heart failure.

1. Introduction

Theprimary etiologies of congestive heart failure, particularlyin older adult patients, are hypertension and coronary arterydisease [1]. A rare cause of congestive heart failure includessystemic AV shunting or vasodilation, eventually over timeresulting in a high-output heart failure state [2]. Large AVfistulas formed after lumbar disc surgery, cardiac catheteri-zation, and for hemodialysis access have been increasinglyrecognized as iatrogenic causes of high-output heart failure[3–5]. However, few cases of remote trauma resulting ina high-output heart failure state are documented in theliterature.

2. Case Report

A 54-year-old African American male with no past medicalhistory presented to the urgent care clinic with two weeksof bilateral lower extremity edema and dyspnea on exertion.Physical exam revealed a palpable thrill over the right baseof the neck with a loud continuous bruit. A healed woundwas prominent and had been present since he was stabbed inthe neck by his girlfriend thirty years ago. Additionally, therewas elevated jugular venous distention to the earlobe at 30degrees, and the point of maximum impulse was displaced

inferolaterally on cardiac exam. S1 and S2 were irregularlyirregular with no additional heart sounds. Lungs were clearto auscultation bilaterally; however, the patient had 2+ edemaextending up to his knees bilaterally.

A transthoracic echocardiogram on admission revealedan ejection fraction of 30%, an estimated right ventricu-lar systolic pressure of 49mmHg, and a severely dilatedright ventricle. Left heart cardiac catheterization revealedno significant coronary artery disease. However, rightheart catheterization was significant for cardiac output of12.8 L/min, cardiac index of 6.6 L/min/m2, right atrial pres-sure of 17mmHg, and right ventricular pressure of 50/15.A 4 : 1 left-to-right shunt was calculated using the Flammequation.

Carotid duplex ultrasound (Figure 1) demonstrated alarge pseudoaneurysm arising from the right CCA with acommunication to the right IJV. During a combined vascularand thoracic surgery operation, a 0.7 cm fistula was ligatedbetween the right CCA and the right IJV. The right CCA wasrepaired with a Dacron patch. With the exception of peri-operative atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response(treated with amiodarone, diltiazem infusion, and successfulDC cardioversion), the patient’s symptoms continued toimprove prior to discharge.

2 Case Reports in Cardiology

Figure 1: Ultrasound demonstrating fistula connecting right CCAto the right IJV.

3. Discussion

There is sparse literature documenting traumatic cases oflarge AV fistulas leading to high-output heart failure. High-output congestive heart failure is often associated with severeanemia, hyperthyroidism, various vitamin deficiencies, andrarely large AV fistulas [2]. These AV fistulas can be con-genital, traumatic, or iatrogenic and result in decreasedsystemic vascular resistance [2, 6]. Iatrogenic causes includeAV fistulas resulting from lumbar disc surgery and cardiaccatheterization [4, 5].

The two mechanisms resulting in high-output heartfailure over a course of months to years are vasodilationand AV shunting [2]. Disease states, such as severe chronicanemia [7] and sepsis [8], lead to systemic vasodilation.Conditions includingMcCune-Albright [2], large AV fistulas,and multiple myeloma [9] produce systemic AV shunting.Sympathetic activation and decreased renal perfusion con-tribute to ventricular remodeling and clinical heart failure[2]. Although the most common cause of new-onset heartfailure is ischemic heart disease, this case documents thevalue of a thorough history and physical exam in detectingless common, and potentially treatable, causes [10]. This casehighlights the importance of the identification and treatmentof acquired AV fistulas in the pathophysiology of high-outputheart failure.

References

[1] M. W. Rich, “Epidemiology, pathophysiology, and etiology ofcongestive heart failure in older adults,” Journal of the AmericanGeriatrics Society, vol. 45, no. 8, pp. 968–974, 1997.

[2] P. A. Mehta and S.W. Dubrey, “High output heart failure,”QJM,vol. 102, no. 4, pp. 235–241, 2009.

[3] C. W. Ingram, L. F. Satler, and C. E. Rackley, “Progressive heartfailure secondary to a high output state,”Chest, vol. 92, no. 6, pp.1117–1118, 1987.

[4] E. Santos, V. Peral, M. Aroca et al., “Arteriovenous fistula as acomplication of lumbar disc surgery: case report,” Neuroradiol-ogy, vol. 40, no. 7, pp. 459–461, 1998.

[5] A. O. Sy and S. Plantholt, “Congestive heart failure secondaryto arteriovenous fistula from cardiac catheterization and angio-plasty,” Catheterization and Cardiovascular Diagnosis, vol. 23,no. 2, pp. 136–138, 1991.

[6] N. Bourgeois, C. Delcour, J. Deviere et al., “Osler-Weber-Rendudisease associated with hepatic involvement and high outputheart failure,” Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, vol. 12, no.2, pp. 236–238, 1990.

[7] I. S. Anand, “Heart failure and anemia: mechanisms andpathophysiology,” Heart Failure Reviews, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 379–386, 2008.

[8] E. B. Rotheram Jr., “High output congestive heart failure inseptic shock,” Chest, vol. 95, no. 6, pp. 1367–1368, 1989.

[9] W. McBride, J. D. Jackman Jr., and P. A. Grayburn, “Prevalenceand clinical characteristics of a high cardiac output state inpatients withmultiple myeloma,”American Journal of Medicine,vol. 89, no. 1, pp. 21–24, 1990.

[10] A. Rudiger, V.-P. Harjola, A. Muller et al., “Acute heart failure:clinical presentation, one-year mortality and prognostic fac-tors,” European Journal of Heart Failure, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 662–670, 2005.

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